MANGALURU: A sensational claim regarding a series of alleged murders and rapes at Dharmasthala in Dakshina Kannada district has emerged, with a man, reportedly, willing to surrender himself to the police and exhume buried bodies linked to the crimes.
On Sunday, advocates Ojaswi Gowda and Sachin Deshpande released a press statement saying a man had approached them, confessing to having buried bodies in Dharmasthala to cover up multiple incidents of murder and sexual violence, including the rape and killing of young girls. The man, reportedly wracked with guilt, has expressed his desire to surrender before the police and cooperate with the investigation, including offering to exhume a buried body in the presence of the police.
The claim, which was also circulated on social media in the form of a letter, led to immediate media attention and a formal response from Dakshina Kannada district police.
In a press note, Dakshina Kannada police acknowledged that such a letter had come to their notice via social media. “To verify the authenticity of the letter, we contacted the Bengaluru-based advocates mentioned in it. The advocates confirmed that an individual had approached them and expressed his willingness to provide information about the crimes allegedly committed in Dharmasthala village,” the police said.
The advocates told the police that the man is prepared to surrender and share all relevant details once he is assured of legal protection and safety, in line with provisions under the Witness Protection Scheme, 2018.